Ned Rig Fishing on Lake Blue Ridge
Lake Blue Ridge · Georgia · Southeast
Lake Blue Ridge sits at roughly 1,700 feet elevation in Fannin County, Georgia, impounded by the Toccoa River and managed by TVA. The reservoir is characterized by deep, clear water — often 8–12 feet of visibility — rocky bluff walls, submerged timber from old creek channels, and a pronounced thermocline in summer. Spotted bass dominate the catch, but a solid population of smallmouth and a surprising number of largemouth in the upper creek arms make it a genuine multi-species fishery.
Ned Rig pairs a 3–4" ElaZtech-style floating plastic (TRD, Finesse TRD, or similar) on a 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom head jig. The bait's buoyancy causes it to stand upright on the bottom, creating a subtle action that triggers bites when nothing else will. Exceptional on hard bottom, gravel, and rock.
Ned Rig Setup for Lake Blue Ridge
| Rod | 6'10"–7'2" medium-light spinning rod, moderate-fast action |
| Reel | 2500 size spinning reel |
| Line | 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluorocarbon leader |
| Weight | 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom jig head (Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ or similar) |
| Hook | Size 1 or 1/0 wide gap, built into jig head |
Seasonal Tactics on Lake Blue Ridge
Lake: Pre-spawn spotted bass and smallmouth stack on rocky points and gravel transitions in 8–18 ft as water temps climb through the mid-50s to low 60s. The upper Toccoa River arm sees largemouth moving into shallower wood cover and root wads from late March through mid-April.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Thermocline development pushes fish to 20–35 ft along main-lake bluff walls and channel ledges. Early-morning topwater on secondary points produces until 8 AM; after that, it's a deep game with drop shots and football jigs.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Shad migrations pull fish back shallow from September through early November. Spotted bass and smallmouth bust shad schools on wind-blown points and steep rocky banks — walking baits and small swimbaits excel during this window.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Cold, clear water concentrates fish on deep channel bends and submerged timber pockets in 30–45 ft. Fishing slows significantly but the size class of spotted bass caught on slow-dragged ned rigs and finesse jigs improves.
Ned Rig: Best cold-water finesse technique after drop shot. Extremely slow drag on hard bottom near deep structure.
Best Conditions
Clear water, hard and rocky bottoms, post-cold-front, heavily pressured fish, any season except peak summer spawn
Use Z-Man ElaZtech plastics exclusively — they float and are nearly indestructible. Regular soft plastics sink and kill the technique.
More Techniques for Lake Blue Ridge
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